User Reviews

Strengths: Very strong sole, great quality materials. Very confortable, and great fitting.

Weaknesses: The sole separates after a lot of abuse, but after more than 3 years of great abuse, it´s worth it. With super glue or with a shoe repair shop everithing is solved.

Bottom Line:

A Sidi-like shoe but less expensive. very well handcrafted, just like the Italians work all appearell and shoes, excellent. I fully recommend these shoes. I want a new pair but i just do not have any reason to replace them, they rock. If you do not want to see these shoes with you for years then do not buy them.

When i was considering upgrading to clipless pedals, a friend informed me that northwave was the Ferrari of cycling shoes, and i should consider nothing else. I'm thrilled with the advantages the clipless system has over clips. the price was higher than i would have liked to spend, but these shoes seem to be made exceptionally well. the break in period was frustrating, but i have a foot condition called "mortons neuroma" that tends to tweak my nerves in stiff shoes. when im on the pedals though, these shoes perform and feel fantastic. the only discomfort i feel is when im walking in them. this is due to my feet, and not the shoe. otherwise, these shoes breath great, i can feel the breeze on my toes as i descend, and they look good (black and red just happens to match my bike).

A good-fitting shoe that is fairly good at keeping your tootsies dry from water crossings (within reason).

The biggest failing is that the toe spikes thread into a substandard metal plate. On one epic ride requiring a hike on a horse trail over a pass gaining 1700 vertical ft. over 2.5 km, I sheared one toe spike off -- this was a tough slog physically but not extreme, rocky terrain. I replaced the spike and went on a road ride, only to find the new spike missing once I got home. The folks at Northwave haven't been too helpful -- they seem more interested in the how's and when's of the problem then in making this customer happy. Thankfully, my friendly neighbourhood bike shop (Bow Cycle) are fixing/replacing the shoe's metal plate for me. I plan on at least one more season of riding/racing with these shoes, so overall I'm pleased.

Strengths: This is my first pair of clipless shoes and i reccomend the upgrade to anyone who is still using clips. They are way comfortable, but i reccomend removing the laces. Besides that, they look great. After the really muddy rides they clean up pretty good too.

Weaknesses: I havn't found any so far, but i've only had them for 6 months.

Bottom Line:

Cheap, comfortable, and stylin'. I reccomend them to anyone who wants a quality product without all the bells and whistles, thus at a lower price. Sure, if I had the money, I would have bought SIDI Actions, but these work just fine for now.

Since my last review, my soles ripped off during a race and today I had to get myself a new pair of shoes(SIDI Eagle). I'm not sure yet how the eagles will perform but I just hope it does not rip off like my NW. The NW Elite was a cheap, light and great shoe which was great off the bike and on the bike... maybe I did too many small bunnyhops to clear obstacles in the XC trail using the clipless pedal method :-( It's time to learn how to bunnyhop the correct way so that I don't ruin another shoe.

Weaknesses: Only 2 straps, needs 1 moredoesn't come with good spikesgraphics scratch off easily(the black fade at the ankle)

Bottom Line:

These shoes are the most comfortable shoes (any style, running, dress, etc) I've worn, well, ever. They fit snugly, and the neoprene tongue is sewn in so that it provides a snug feel in the instep. I'd wear them every day, but I know that non-bikers will think they're wierd. The 2 strap w/ laces is a good idea, though I have ditched the laces, they are too hard to tie, and don't even affect fit that much. The toe has a perfect amount of flex, so when I need to get off and walk, it doesn't hurt. I added a set of Sidi Spikes after the first ride, and they are some mean shoes now. I'll review them in a while to say how well they've held up. Oh, the price was excellent, too. At $125, I haven't seen such good shoes at this price level. Great fit, great quality, great function, and great looks. If You're looking for a great pair of shoes for a reasonable price, these are your choice. They have the same outsole and midsole as the Team MTB, and for a price much lower.

I picked these up on a year-end deal ($130 Cdn). They fit ok in the store, but hurt my instep. I will have to wait to break them in a little more as I only use them for spinning right now. Sole is not as stiff as my Lakes, definitely flexes on spinning bike. For my feet, the Lakes are a better shoe for about the same MSRP.

Weaknesses: The shoe didn't live up to my expectations in a $250 shoe. It began ripping on the insole almost 3 months into use. Velcro strap ripped off. Toe spikes broke off almost immediately.

Bottom Line:

Definitely not a decent extreme terrain shoe. Prolly would be a much better shoe for racing only or at least tamer terrain. The racing I have done in this shoe was after the break in period (5 months) and couldn't totally appreciate it cause of the state they were in. Nice shoes but I am giving it one star cause it just didn't hold up, no value for the dollar.

Weaknesses: Took about 4 rides for the shoes to break in.(Or maybe my feet to break in?)

Bottom Line:

After I got used to them they work great and the soles are very good for walking or climbing. The colors are subdued for Italian shoes and they seem to fit snug so my heels don't lift out, but I can still wiggle my toes alot. Cleat engagement seems OK as the sole design leaves alot of space around the mounting. They feel alot like AXO Vipers but I think they're neater.

Strengths: 1. Stiff Sole2. Nice Colour3. Easy to walk and run on the trail(grip is ok on the trail)

Weaknesses: 1. Water seeps easily into the shoe(Mud does not).2. Does not dry fast enough. 3. Sometimes I get a sensation on my toes. But nothing serious

Bottom Line:

A great shoe! It is well designed. I like it because it looks just like the ANSWER acclerator. Power transfer is so much more efficient. I do worry about pulling my pedal too much until the soles come out but the shoes are quite durable. I have fallen in MUD during a race but the shoe still functions. Clerance to clip on with the pedal is good. Most of the time, it is easy locating the pedal with the shoe but the problem is clipping in as I usually set my tension on my pedals quite high. A wonderfull entry level shoe for cross country use and racing.

Similar Products Used: Before clipless pedals, I was riding with a pair of running shoes.

Bike Setup: TREK 800ICON clipless

Overall Rating:

Submitted by
Simon
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore

Date Reviewed: April 2, 1999

Strengths: Stiff for a mid-level shoe; nice red/black colours instead of usual Euro-disco accents.It has a durable and grippy rubber sole with aggressive treads. Plus point with screw-ins for option to put in soccer studs - that's what I did.Fitting wise is comfortable although my tender feet still hurts from the stiff thermoplastic mid sole.

Weaknesses: Has both velcro straps and laces but rather awkward to tie and slip in the laces underneath the tongue. Stiffness still gives me sore feet. Good if you want a stiff shoe.

Bottom Line:

Bought it for Singapore dollars $130, equivalent to US$80. Great value for a good performing shoe.

This shoe is very well made and light.It's lace's and velcro strap, along with the neoprene tounge, provide a very solid fit .Before buying the Elite's I tried on the Speciallized comp and Answer Accelerator but found the elite's to be the best fit and construction.

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